Abuja residents groan JUSUN strike

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Wednesday complained that the current industrial action by judicial workers’ have brought untold hardship on them.

They complained that the strike is forcing them to seek alternative means of livelihood.

A cross-section of petty traders and business owners who do business around Karu and Wuse courts, spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

It would be recalled that judiciary workers commenced the strike on Monday, January 5 to press for autonomy of the judiciary.

Adamu Sani, a smoked fish hawker around Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, said that he prays that the strike be called off to enable him sell his fish, as most of his customers are judiciary workers.

“Mine is to sell my fish and make a little profit for me and my family, and it was ‘ok’, but now no customer anymore because nobody is here to buy.

“Truly I must confess, it is very difficult to make any sales, I come here every day hoping to see my customers again, but no life here,” Sani said

Similarly, a fruit seller at the same area, Mallam Mustapha Musa, said that the strike has affected everybody.

“Truly I did not understand the seriousness of this strike until I started experiencing the effect on my business. Can you believe that some days I do not see anybody to buy my fruits?

“When the courts were in session, within a short time my fruits were sold; now unless a passer-by stops to buy, no sales for that day,” he said.

Musa therefore called on the government to intervene to bring this strike to an end because the side effects ‘leave a bitter taste in the mouth.’

Miss Hope Akor, who sells recharge cards around Karu Magistrates’ Court, said “it has been pretty difficult to make sales now unlike when the courts were open.

“If I say that I groan under the effect of this strike, it is an understatement. I am confused, just holding on.

“I sell this recharge cards to help my parents make up for my school fees, but since the strike, the patronage has been too low and discouraging” she said.

She said that the government should consider the “plight of many Nigerians affected in one way or the other by the strike and resolve the issues.”